Russian Blues
by tuna-booboo
Summary: Tovah tells Alex of her past, and the investigation starts to take wing. Chapters 3 and 4 are now up. I just can't leave this unfinished.
1. A Routine Checkup

**Summary: **Mark Sloan helps a young widow.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from the CBS television series "Diagnosis Murder." Tovah and Gleb Deningkov, the Kaminskys, Cara Fairchild, and any other name you do not recognize from the show were most likely made up by me for the purpose of this story.

Oh, yeah,

**P.S.:** The title of this story, as with many of the episodes, subtly ties in with the story. Tovah and Gleb are both from Russia.

**A/N: **I started writing this in May 2002, just after "Without Warning" aired. I felt that the story left too many things unfinished, but so did I: this story. Now I am getting my behind in gear and submitting this. I hope you enjoy.

**Russian Blues**

**Chapter 1- **A Routine Checkup

Tovah Deningkov sat in the waiting room of Community General Hospital. Her husband, Gleb, was at her side, and they were huddling over a pad of paper, drafting names for their baby. Tovah was eight months pregnant. Three years before Gleb had moved to Los Angeles from a little village near Moscow. He met Tovah Kaminsky, who had lived in California since she was a young child, when he started attending collage classes for computer design. They fell in love and got married, and the rest, as they say, was history.

A nurse entered the room carrying a chart.

"Mrs. Deningkov," she asked, reading off Tovah's name. "The doctor will see you now."

"Thank you," Tovah said, putting her things back in her bag. Gleb helped her to her feet, and put his arm over her shoulder, leading her down the hall. Halfway to the room where the nurse had sent them to, Tovah passed a poster detailing the importance of treating and controlling diabetes. She didn't need to read it though. Gleb had had diabetes since he was a teenager. He stopped short when he saw the notice, glancing at his wristwatch.

"What is it?" Tovah asked.

"I forgot my insulin. You go ahead; I'll run home and grab it. Be right back in fifteen minutes," he explained.

"Okay Sweetie," Tovah said, letting him have a kiss. "Love you."

Tovah continued on to the examination room. She seated herself on the cold hard table and pulled her novel out of her purse. She was halfway through Mary Higgins Clark's Weep No More, My Lady, when her doctor came in.

Alex Martin had been the one to run Tovah's pregnancy test eight long months ago. Now as it was nearing the time for the baby's birth, he was the one talking the nerves out of her.

"Hello, Mrs. Deningkov. And how are we today?" he asked with a smile.

"_We_ are just fine," Tovah said with a cheerful smile. "This baby is going to kick amazing field-goals though."

"Good, good. This will just be a routine check up then. One of your lasts," Alex said as a nurse prepped the ultrasound. "So, where is your husband? He hasn't missed a checkup yet."

"Oh, Gleb. He does have a tendency to overdo things. He's diabetic and he forgot his insulin this morning, he was so worked up about the baby. Anyways, he practically hyperventilates if he takes it too late."

"You know, in a couple of days I'll be Mrs. Steve Sloan," Ellen Sharp said. Steve and his fiancé were sitting on the porch of the beach house, watching the waves crash against the shore.

"Well at least it's not 'Stone,'" Steve said.

"It could be," Ellen retorted.

"Mmm-hmm," Steve sighed, looking out across the horizon. As he kissed his soon-to-be bride, his cell phone began trilling. On the third ring, Ellen broke away.

"Don't you want to answer that?" she asked.

"Not really," Steve confessed, brushing a strand of Ellen's blond hair away from his face. Reluctantly he reached into his pocket and pulled out the phone. "Sloan here." Just as he had known, and dreaded, it was the chief, assigning him a new case. "Alright, I'm on my way."

"What is it?" Ellen asked.

"There was another homicide. Imagine that in Los Angeles."

"High profile?" Ellen asked.

"Don't even think about it. 'The Scoop' is not going to get a story today. Not from me. It was just a regular civilian," Steve said.

"Oh," Ellen said, almost dejectedly.

"Will you be here when I get back?" he asked.

"No," Ellen replied, smiling at his rejected look. "I have more packing to do. It's not easy to move my entire house into yours by myself. Not to mention the yard sale you didn't help me with last Saturday."

"Oops," Steve said. "So I'll see you tonight." They shared a kiss before Steve started for his car. Ellen sat back in her chair, falling in love with the view, and sipping the last of her coffee.

"I wonder what is keeping Gleb," Tovah said, 'He should be back by now." As she finished speaking, her mobile phone rang. "That's probably him....Hello?"

Alex turned his back and made a few notes in Tovah's chart. He heard a clunk and spun around on the rolling stool. Tovah's phone was on the floor, and she was pressing her hands into her eyes. Alex reached down and snatched up the cell phone.

"Hello, hello?" he said frantically. Alex did not know who he expected to hear, but it certainly wasn't the person who answered him.

"Steve?"


	2. Saying Goodbye

**Summary: **Mark Sloan helps a young widow.

**Disclaimer:** See chapter 1.

**Russian Blues**

**Chapter 2-** Saying Goodbye

Within an hour Tovah was standing in the pathology lab with Alex. A large, gruff looking man introduced himself as Lt. Steve Sloan, and the woman behind the desk was Dr. Amanda Bentley. Tovah looked over at the table in the center of the room. A body was lying on it, covered only by a white sheet.

"I'm sorry that you have to do this, Mrs. Deningkov," Steve said gently. Tovah only nodded. Alex put a hand on her shoulder. Amanda glanced at Steve, and reassured lifted the sheet. Tovah gasped and reached out her hand, caressing her husband's lips with her fingertips. She put her head down on his chest, choking on bone-racking sobs. Amanda reached over and led Tovah to a chair, where she held the young woman, letting her tears fall freely.

"Are you alright?" Alex asked when she calmed down. She shook her head slowly, but dried her eyes on a Kleenex.

"It wasn't real. It was just a nightmare. I was going to wake up. I had to. But now it's real. That's really him."

"Do you have anyplace to stay?" Steve asked. Again Tovah shook her head. "Why don't you come stay at the beach with me and my father?"

"No, I won't impose. No one needs the poor little Russian girl moping around." Tovah said, almost bitterly.

"You wouldn't be imposing at all, Tovah," Steve tried again.

"I'm sorry. Thank you Lt. Sloan. It would be very kind of you." Steve gave her a small reassuring smile and then turned to the pathologist.

"Thanks, Amanda."

"Mmm-hmm," she said sadly. She started to reposition the sheet over the body, but Tovah stopped her.

"Wait," she said. "May I?" Amanda stepped aside and stood with Alex across the room. Tovah walked back over to her husband's body and traced the profile of his face with her finger.

"Good bye," Tovah whispered, leaning down and kissing his cheek. "I love you," she breathed. Then she straightened the sheet over his face and composed herself, turning around. "I'm ready," she said sadly.

.......

Every staff member at Community General Hospital knew that Mark Sloan was no normal doctor. For example, he often gave lectures in rap, and spent most of his spare time helping his son solve homicide cases.

That is why no one, aside from the odd patient that had never heard of him and his eccentricities, thought anything of it when Dr. Sloan came roller skating down the hallway towards the E.R. He skidded to a stop, knocking a stack of files off the nurses' station. He smiled sheepishly at the R.N. who glared at him, and her look softened as Mark dropped to his knees to help her clean the papers that he had unintentionally scattered across the floor.

Finally he retreated to the elevator and spun in circles until he reached the fourth floor, and then sped towards his office. He didn't anticipate how fast he would pick up speed and unable to stop, Mark ran into the door of his office, which flew open. He landed in a sprawled heap on the floor. When he finally sensed that the movement had stopped, Mark opened his eyes. He was looking straight into the tasseled loafer of his son.

Again he flashed his famous, irresistible smile, and Steve helped him to his feet.

"Dad, this is Tovah Deningkov, one of Alex's patients. Her husband was murdered this morning. She will be staying with us for awhile," he said, ignoring the urge to tell Tovah that they were in the wrong office and that this roller-skating lunatic was not his father.

"Hello, Dear," Mark said compassionately. Tovah immediately fell under the "Doctor Sloan Spell," comforted by his words, and liking him right away. "Would you like to sit down?" She nodded, and took a seat on the tan couch. Alex sat beside her and tried to comfort her, checking her pulse, and asking her questions about how she felt. Mark watched them for a minute and then turned to Steve. Normally Steve was a few inches taller than his father, but the specially ordered wheels on Mark's skates easily closed the difference in their heights.

"How is she taking it?" Mark asked Steve quietly.

"Not too good. Alex said he's worried about her making herself and the baby sick."

"Well, at least we can make sure that she eats properly tonight," Mark said.

"Alex is off-duty now, so we're going to go back by the Deningkov's house and pick up a few of Tovah's things. Will you take her home and get her settled?"

"Sure, Son," Mark said, sitting down and unfastening the roller skates. "It's probably easier to drive without these."

......

The Deningkovs lived in a small apartment a few blocks away from the hospital. Tovah had done a remarkable job decorating the place, and the style was consistently elegant. But the nursery was cheerful and happy, clouds floating across the blue walls. Steve highly doubted that the room would ever be used by Tovah. The forensics team was still taking care of the living room and kitchen area, so Steve slipped into the bedroom to check it over himself.

"What did Gleb Deningkov do, anyway?" he asked, turning to Alex.

"He graduated from some sort of computer school a year ago. He has a pretty good job at an animation studio. Tovah graduated from the same school last year, but she's taking time off to have the baby," Alex said.

"Don't touch anything," Steve ordered.

"Yes, Dad," Alex replied sarcastically. Steve sighed and opened a dresser drawer with a gloved hand. They started putting things into a duffel bag. Steve wandered into the bathroom to get a toothbrush, and Alex lifted a small vial out of a drawer. "What's this?"

Steve came over and looked at the unlabeled container. He smelled burnt almonds as he lifted it to his nose.

"It's cyanide," he said.

"Do you think there are any fingerprints on it?" Alex asked.

"You mean beside your own?"

"Oops."

"Nice going," Steve said.

"Let's just get what we came for and get out of here," Alex said, embarrassed that he may have screwed up the only clue, after being warned about it. Twice. That was something Jesse Travis did, and if he wasn't careful, Alex would end up with the same reputation.

......

Tovah sat alone in the guest room of Mark Sloan's house. The light was off, and the room was beginning to grow dim with the fading light of the evening. She heard noises coming from another part of the house, but she didn't move. She was remembering the last five years of her life, the three wonderful years she spent with Gleb.

Tovah was startled from her thoughts by a knock on the door.

"Come in," she said quietly. The door peeked open and Alex stuck his head in.

"It's me. We got your clothes for you."

"Thank you, Dr. Martin," Tovah said, leaving her volume at a level almost inaudible.

"It's Alex to my friends," he said with a reassuring smile. "Dr. Sloan and Steve are going to help you."

"Did they find anything at the house?"

"Just a vial of cyanide. We won't know until Dr. Bentley gets here, but it's a safe assumption that it is in Gleb's bloodstream."

"Alex..." Tovah began. She looked down and studied her hands that were resting on her stomach. "Am I a suspect?"

"Maybe you are, technically, but I know you couldn't have killed a man you loved that much. Besides, you were with me at the hospital."

"I didn't kill him, but I think I know who did," Tovah said with a sharp tone.

"Who is that?" Alex asked.

"My father."


	3. Good and Bad Memories

**Summary: **Mark Sloan helps a young widow.

**Disclaimer:** See chapter 1.

**Russian Blues**

**Chapter 3- **Good and Bad Memories

"Your father?" Alex repeated. "Why would he want to kill Gleb?"

"My father hated Gleb. He was planning to marry me off to a rich man back in Russia, but I met Gleb at school. We were both eighteen, just starting collage. When we fell in love, my father forbade the marriage. So we eloped.

"When we returned, we rented an apartment close to my parents' house. My mother was ecstatic. She always liked Gleb. But my father was another story. He pretended to tolerate the marriage until I got pregnant. He-" Tovah's voice broke suddenly, and she took a moment to gather her composure. "He pushed me down a flight of stairs, and I ended up with a miscarriage."

"That's terrible. Did you take him to court?"

"We couldn't get the charges to stick. The police just told us it was his word against mine. That night Gleb moved me out here."

"Do you ever get to talk to you mother?" Alex asked.

"No," Tovah said. She was still staring at her fingernails. "My father had the phone number changed, and the new one is unlisted. I wish I could talk to her right now. She would be so happy about the baby."

"Tovah, you need to tell Steve Sloan everything that you just told me," Alex said.

"I can't," she said, looking up for the first time. Alex could see the fire that the memories had ignited in her brown eyes.

"I know it's hard, but this could help put the creep who killed your husband behind bars," Alex persuaded, but Tovah was stubbornly unresponsive. "I'll help you." Her look softened and she gave him a slight, sad smile.

"Thank you, Alex," she said, reaching over to give his hand a squeeze. He helped her to her feet. "Oh, where is the bathroom?"

"Right across the hall. Dr. Sloan has clean towels in the closet," Alex said with a smile.

"Thank you again, for everything."

……

Jesse Travis arrived at the beach house toting a box of ribs from Barbeque Bobs. He stood in the doorway, holding the food triumphantly.

"Boy are we glad to see you," Steve said. Jesse's smile grew. "I'm starving."

Steve took the box from Jesse, who sat dejectedly on the couch. Alex followed him into the kitchen to warm up the food.

"So her father caused them to lose the baby?" Steve asked him, coming back out to the living room.

"That's what she said," Alex responded.

"It sounds like Gleb Deningkov had a motive to kill Mr. Kaminsky," Jesse said.

"Gleb Deningkov died of cyanide poisoning," began Amanda. "The gash on the back of his head didn't do anything more than give him a mild concussion. But he had a double dose of insulin and a tiny bit of cyanide, all injected in the same spot, but at different times, with the same syringe."

"Were there any prints on the needle?" Mark asked.

"Just Gleb and Tovah's," Steve replied, "And their prints were the only ones on the statuette that knocked Gleb out."

"Huh…" Mark said thoughtfully. It was quiet for a minute, until a voice was heard from the doorway.

"Hello? Steve? Help!" Steve walked down to the front door, and saw Ellen, balancing three boxes, and trying to open the door and turn on the light. He took the top box and groaned.

"How much of your house is in this box?" he asked sarcastically.

"This is only the beginning," Ellen answered, ignoring his tone.

"Need more hands?" Jesse asked, setting his soda down.

"That would be _great_," Ellen said. "There are boxes on the seats and the trunk is full. Knock yourself out." She continued down the stairs while Jesse followed Steve out, switching on the outdoor floodlight. They stopped at the overcrowded vehicle and gaped. Steve did not know how she drove the vehicle, because all of the windows were blocked.

"Is it too late to take back my offer?" Jesse asked.

"What on earth does she have in there?" Steve said, thinking out loud.

"Stuff." Steve glared at his business partner and then tried to figure out how to get one box out of the car without being crushed by twenty or thirty others. He sighed heavily at the warning ticket that was lying on top of Ellen's purse between the front seats.

As he and Jesse were studying the problem, a red mustang convertible pulled up to the beach house, horn honking. Steve pulled his head out of the car too quickly, smacking it on the ceiling.

Aside from breaking Steve's concentration, the noise from the car's horn also attracted Mark and Ellen from the house. And when Mark saw the driver he smiled brightly.

"Jack Stewart, you said you wouldn't be here until tomorrow."

"Well I got in early," Jack said with a grin. "Hey, the house looks great!"

"Ellen, I'd like you to meet the infamous Dr. Jack Stewart," Steve said, rubbing the sore spot on his head. "Jack, this is my fiancé, Ellen Sharp."

"Hi, it's nice to meet you," Ellen said. "The stories Mark tells about you are legendary."

"You must be very special yourself if you finally got Steve to settle down." As Jack spoke, Mark noticed Jesse's rejected look, so he introduced him.

"And this is Dr. Jesse Travis. He replaced you after you left." Jesse shook Jack's hand, and their wary smiles went unnoticed by all but Mark.

"Hey guys, if you don't get in here the boys are gong to eat all the ribs," Amanda called from the house. Mark turned back to Jack.

"Have you ever experienced the sensation of eating barbeque that will- what was it Jesse?"

"Char the taste buds off your tongue and sear the lining of your stomach," Jesse recited with a grin.

"Ah, no, I don't think I have," Jack said. Mark put his arm around his shoulder, leading him to the house.

"Well I guess you will now," he said. Steve and Ellen crammed the stuff that had fallen out of the car back in and locked it, walking slowly to the house, hand in hand. Jesse followed alone.

Amanda heard someone entering the house, and she looked up from the newspaper on her lap.

"It's about ti-" she started, but didn't finish her thought. "Jack! What are you doing here?"

"Mark called me. I hear Steve is getting married," he answered, returning her hug. "I wanted it to be a surprise. Boy is it great to see you."

Steve emerged from the kitchen carrying a platter of ribs.

"Alright, Stewart. Get ready for the taste of 'Doctor Bob'."

"And 'Detective Bob,'" Jesse added.

"These two 'Bobs' own a restaurant together," Mark explained. Smelling food, Amanda's son, C.J., came in from the deck.

"Mom, is it time to eat yet?" he asked climbing up on her lap.

"Yes. Go and get your brother. You two can eat on the porch if you're careful," Amanda said, kissing the top of his head.

"DION!" C.J. yelled, pushing away from his mother.

"Now, I could have done that," Amanda said.

"I'll check on Tovah," Steve said.

"Jack, this is Dr. Alex Martin," Amanda began, "and these are my sons, C.J.-"

"The J. stands for 'Jesse'," Jesse interrupted proudly.

"And Dion," Amanda finished.

"Hi!" Jack said, bending down and offering the boys handshakes. Mark explained why Tovah was there to Jack. He looked sternly at Jesse.

"Be-" he started. Then Mark turned his firm look to Jack. "Nice."

"When was I ever not nice?" Jack said with a grin. Amanda glared playfully at him, trying to mentally jog his memory. Finally she mouthed 'Norman Briggs.'

Steve came back from the guest room with Tovah. He introduced her to anyone she did not know.

"Are you hungry?" Mark asked.

"Only because I'm pregnant," Tovah said wearily. She yawned frequently over dinner, and retreated to the bedroom early. When Mark looked in on her, she was asleep with the lights out.

Everyone slowly started to go home, and Jack went with Amanda, happy to use her guest room. Mark put the last of the coffee mugs on a tray and carried them to the kitchen. Steve was drying his hands on a towel and Ellen was starting the wash cycle on the dishwasher. It was proof that they could work together when, and if, they wanted to.

"Now I get to unpack," Ellen announced to no one in particular. Steve smiled at her.

"Let me help you," he offered.

"Sure," she said with a grin.

**A/N: **I hope you enjoy this. I'm sorry to keep bringing Jack Stewart back in my stories, but I always thought that he and Amanda belonged together, like Steve with Ellen, and Jesse with Susan.


	4. Princesses and Pink Grass

**Summary: **Mark Sloan helps a young widow.

**Disclaimer:** See chapter 1.

**Russian Blues**

**Chapter 4- **Princesses and Pink Grass

The next morning Steve, Amanda, Alex, Jesse, Mark, and Jack gathered in the doctor's lounge at Community General.

"I've got a list of people and places to visit," Steve began. "First I want to go out and see Tovah's parents. They have a house up in the mountains. I also want to check out the studio where Gleb Deningkov worked. And I want to go to the Russian Symphony Mr. Kaminsky conducts."

"Well, why don't you let me go down to the symphony and have a look?" Amanda suggested.

"Yeah, I'll help. It'll be like old times," Jack volunteered. Mark noticed that Jesse looked a little annoyed that Amanda was going to investigate with Jack as apposed to himself.

"I'll take Jess down to the Bennett Studio and poke around a little," Mark offered.

"And that leaves me to go with you, Steve," Alex said. The group all agreed to meet at Barbeque Bob's at twelve-thirty, and they set off to their different destinations.

……

As Amanda walked into the tall gray building with Jack Stewart, she smiled over at him. It had been quite awhile since they had done this.

Inside their attention was immediately drawn to a fountain in the corner, spraying water up above their heads. When they turned around they saw a woman sitting behind a large oak desk, talking into a headset. When she saw the potential customers, she ended the phone conversation and smiled sweetly up at Jack.

"Can I help you?"

"Is Mr. Kaminsky in?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kaminsky was called away on a musical emergency. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Well, I'm Dr. Jack Stewart, and I just wanted to ask him a few questions. Do you have a list of the places where he will be playing?" Jack stalled.

"Sure, I'll get you a schedule. By the way, I'm Claudia Anderson," she offered, beaming at Jack.

"And this is Dr. Amanda Bentley," Jack said, putting his arm around her shoulders. Claudia smiled irately and left the room.

"I'm going in," Amanda whispered. She went into Mr. Kaminsky's office and began looking around.

"What are you looking for?" Jack asked from the doorway.

"I'll know when I see it. Now go keep watch," Amanda commanded. Jack turned and wandered back over by the fountain, looking at the koi that swam at the bottom.

"Here you go," Claudia said, handing Jack the schedule. She glanced around the room. "Where's your friend?"

"Oh, Dr. Bentley was paged. A medical emergency. Thank you for this," Jack said holding up the paper. "You know, it's a little warm in here," he continued, raising his voice. "Maybe you should OPEN A WINDOw."

"That's a good idea," Claudia said, once again smiling. "It is a little hot in here."

"I have to go," Jack said quickly. He left the building and walked around the side. Amanda opened the window, and Jack held out his arms. She hopped to the ground, and stood for a moment, glad to be out of the office.

"You were right, Jack," she said.

"About what?"

"This is just like old times," Amanda grinned. They continued on to her car, ready to go stake out a table at Barbeque Bob's.

……

Steve and Alex were having a very hard time finding the Kaminsky's house. They were up in the mountains, but all they had seen was a little town, consisting of a diner and a gas station. They pulled into the parking lot at the diner and climbed out of the car.

"Maybe someone in here knows where the house is…" Steve said. He and Alex continued inside and Alex immediately recognized the man behind the counter. Jim McKofney had come into the E.R. a few weeks earlier with a badly sprained ankle.

"Dr. Martin! What brings you up to my little café?" he asked loudly.

"Actually, we're lost. We're trying to find 1041 Sugarcamp Road," Alex explained.

"It's only about five minutes from here, Doc, but why are you looking for the Kaminsky's?"

"Their son-in-law was murdered yesterday. It's standard procedure," Steve answered.

"If you stick around a few minutes, the missus will be here. She comes in every Thursday at 12:05 for lunch."

"Thanks. We'll take two coffees while we wait." Jim got them their coffees, and as he was setting them on the table, Lili Kaminsky came in. He held his watch up so that Steve could see that it read exactly five after twelve.

"My regulars are like clockwork," Jim explained with a grin. "Hey, Mrs. K!" Steve and Alex watched the woman take off her coat and give Jim a warm smile.

"Hello, Jimmy. I'll have my usual."

"It'll be right with you. Meanwhile, these gentleman wanted to speak with you," Jim said. Steve stood up.

"I'm Lieutenant Steve Sloan from the L.A.P.D., and this is Dr. Alex Martin of Community General Hospital," Steve began, extending his hand. Alex got to his feet and repeated the gesture.

"You can call me Lili." After they were seated, Steve continued.

"Do you know a Mr. Gleb Deningkov?"

"He is my son-in-law," Lili confirmed.

"I'm afraid that he was murdered yesterday morning," Steve said. Lili Kaminsky's hand flew up to her mouth.

"Tovah!" she breathed.

"Tovah is safe," Alex said. "She's staying with a friend. I'm her doctor. She was at an appointment with me when she got the news yesterday."

"My daughter is in Los Angeles?" Lili asked anxiously.

"You didn't know?" Steve queried. Mrs. Kaminsky shifted her gaze down into her coffee mug.

"A year ago we were having problems with our family. They climaxed when Tovah had a miscarriage, and she left with Gleb a few weeks later. I haven't seen either of them since," she explained.

"Alex, would you please go and pay the check," Steve asked, thrusting a twenty at him. When he was well across the room, Steve turned back to Mrs. Kaminsky. "Lili, your daughter is going to be alright. She's staying with me and my father until this is all over. Until then, I don't want her to see anyone involved. I promise that the minute the killer is in custody, you'll be with your daughter."

……

Mark and Jesse were standing at the reception desk of Bennett Studios. The woman behind the counter was wearing a nametag that read "Donna Parks."

"Hello, I'm Mark Sloan, and this is my nephew, Jesse Sloan. He's looking for a job in animating," Mark said, flashing a grin.

"Uncle Mark," Jesse said in a loud whisper, "I think I can handle this." The receptionist smiled.

"Do you have a resume?"

"Yep, here you go," Jesse said, with a grin of his own. He handed Donna the application that Mark had created for him earlier. She scanned the paper, eyes showing that she was impressed.

"Please take a seat over there and we will call you momentarily," she offered, pointing Jesse and Mark to a row of stiff blue chairs. They made themselves comfortable, Mark pulling a magazine off of the end table.

"Mark, explain to me again how this is helping us," Jesse asked quietly.

"Just pay attention to what's happening. I'm going to nose around." Mark handed Jesse the magazine and walked back over to the reception desk.

"Excuse me, Miss Parks. I don't mean to bother you, but where is the restroom?" he asked.

"You go all the way down this hall and hang a right," Donna began. "The third door on the left will lead you to another hallway. Follow the stairs, and on your right you will see a bathroom sign. You can't miss it."

"Thank you," Mark said. "I think."

As Jesse watched Mark wander away, he tapped his fingers on the chair's armrests. He picked up the magazine from his lap and flipped through the pages. He heard a man shouting loudly, and keeping his head down, Jesse glanced up. Under Jesse's careful, yet discreet scrutiny, the man stormed out of a back office.

"Donna! Find Deningkov! This movie is set to be released in three months. We don't have time for this!"

"Mr. Bennett-" Donna began, standing up. Jesse came over and interrupted.

"Excuse me, Mr. Bennett," he began.

"What the hell do you want?" Bennett.

"Sir, Gleb Deningkov is dead," Donna blurted.

"What? What happened?"

"The police officer I spoke to couldn't tell me very much," she responded. Mr. Bennett seemed to have an instant change of heart.

"Please get me his wife on the phone," he said, speaking quietly for the first time in his life.

"I think I can help here," Jesse offered.

"Who are you?" Mr. Bennett asked, attitude returning.

"I'm Jesse Sloan."

"And why, Mr. Sloan, do you think that you can help me?"

"Well, since Mrs. Deningkov is staying under police protection, I can get my cousin, Steve, to let you talk to her," Jesse said.

"What can your little cousin do?"

"Steve Sloan is the police lieutenant in charge of the case. Here, let me get him on the phone for you," Jesse offered. At Mr. Bennett's nod, Donna placed the phone up on the counter and Jesse punched in Steve's number. Mr. Bennett put the receiver to his ear.

"Sloan here."

"I'm told that you can connect me to Mrs. Gleb Deningkov."

"Who am I speaking to?"

"Samuel J. Bennett, the founder of Bennett Computer Animation Studios."

"Who gave you my number?"

"Your cousin."

"Robbie?"

"No, Jesse."

"I'll kill him."

"Lt. Sloan, can I speak to Mrs. Deningkov or not?"

"And exactly what do you have to say to her?"

"I want to offer her my condolences and tell her about our company life insurance policy."

"Send a card and a brochure with my cousin," Steve said sarcastically.

The connection clicked off. Mr. Bennett placed the receiver down, and glared at Jesse.

Meanwhile, Mark Sloan was wandering the halls, hopelessly lost. He had stopped paying attention to where he was walking, and Mark bumped straight into a woman, and she dropped a stack of paper that she was carrying.

"I'm sorry," Mark said. "New feet."

"Oh, no, it was my fault," she said, her pretty red curls framing her face. "Hey, you're that doctor from the TV, the guy who solves those murders.

"Guilty as charged. Mark Sloan."

"I'm Cara Fairchild," the woman said, shaking his hand. "Is it true that Gleb Deningkov is dead?"

"I'm afraid so," Mark confirmed.

""Is that why you're here?" Cara asked, green eyes widening.

"Actually, yes. Do you know where his workstation is?"

"Yeah, come with me." Cara and Mark gathered the rest of the papers that she had dropped, and then led Mark into a large room. She went over to a desk in the corner. A big desk was holding a computer and several sculptures of a princess, who had Tovah's fiery eyes and curly dark hair. Two bulletin boards were on the walls, one covered in snapshots of Tovah, and the other holding 3-D printouts of the princess. "This is it," Cara announced. "We are working on a movie version of the book 'The Two Princesses of Bamarre.' Princess Adelina was assigned to Gleb."

"He was very good," Mark said, studying the charts.

"Yeah, the best," Cara agreed. Mark seated himself at Gleb's desk, and checked the e-mails in his inbox. He read a couple that were insignificant to him, but when he moved on to the fourth one, his eyebrows lifted.

"Do you recognize the address '?" Mark asked Cara.

"That's mine," she said shamelessly.

"Miss Fairchild, this man was obviously very much in love with his wife," Mark said, motioning to the pictures. "Why were you sending him love letters?"

"I had to tell him how I felt. I couldn't help it if he didn't reciprocate the feelings."

"Did you receive a restraining order?" Mark queried.

"Yesterday morning," Cara said. "It's on my desk."

"Where were you yesterday around nine-thirty?"

"Driving to work," Cara said defensively.

"Really?" Mark asked. Cara held up her wrists.

"If you don't believe me, arrest me."

Mark left the office and went back to the lobby where he had left Jesse. He had to wait for him to finish growing pink grass on a computer in the interview room.

"So, how did your interview go?" Mark asked when they were in the car.

"Very well, I think," Jesse said seriously. "Oh, and Mr. Bennett gave me some disks for Tovah. He said they were free-lance projects that Gleb was working on, and she might like to finish them."

"She just might," Mark said. "Well, we're out of here just in time to get to Bob's."


End file.
